The Choice
by whitecrossgirl
Summary: Emily and Haley are kidnapped by Foyet, forcing Hotch to make the ultimate choice. One of them is going to die, but who will Hotch choose to save?


**AN: I know it's been done before but I wanted to write one of these stories too. I've been suffering with writer's block but it should turn out alright.**

Pain.

It was the pain which dragged her back to consciousness. Aside from a throbbing pain in the back of her head, there was also pain in her wrists and shoulders. She was sitting; no bound to a chair and from what she could feel by shifting around, both her gun and phone had been taken. Without opening her eyes, Emily attempted to try and figure out what had happened to her and Emily swore as a vague memory of someone smashing her on the back of the head with something heavy came to her pained mind. She never even had a chance to defend herself or see it coming. After making a mental note to improve on her sensory skills and hearing, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.

She was in an almost empty room; there was sparse furniture, only a pair of worn wooden chairs and an empty, worn-out table. There was a dilapidated and neglected look to the place, as though it had rarely been lived in. There was a small, filthy window through which limited light was able to break through. Emily turned her head and saw that she wasn't the only hostage. There was a chair next to hers and Emily was stunned to see the dark-haired woman who was also bound to a chair and looking at her completely terrified.

"Haley, what's going on? Where's Jack?" Emily asked, even though she had a clear idea what was going on.

"It's him, he … he made sure that Sam and Jack were out of the way and he got me. He said that h-he's going to kill us." Haley explained, tears trickling on her face and her body shook with terror.

"Foyet," Emily said and she felt a sense of determination course through her, overtaking her pain and fear. "He's not going to; Hotch and the team can stop him."

A cold, chilling, mocking laugh sounded behind her and Emily craned her neck to see Foyet standing in the doorway. A calculating smirk on his face as he studied his two hostages with a gun resting in his hands. Whilst Haley's fear was shown all over her face, Emily felt nothing but burning hatred and anger for Foyet who had the nerve to widen his smirk at the sight of Emily's glare.

"Such certainty Agent Prentiss even when you know the situation is hopeless. Our dear Aaron Hotchner will not be able to stop me. He doesn't even know where you are or where I am." Foyet said smugly. Finally his revenge would be complete; Agent Hotchner would pay for not leaving him alone and for not making a deal. He was content to stop being the Reaper and not kill another soul for as long as he lived but since the deal wasn't agreed to and he wasn't allowed his freedom, well, and then it was a case of starting to kill again.

"But he will. I know you Foyet, if you were to harm Haley, you would want him to know. You would want him to see this. You're too much of a narcissist, not to have him and the BAU watch whatever you had planned for them." Emily said, her voice shaking with rage but she was determined not to let her emotions run away from her. That would do neither of them any favours and right now, Haley needed her to remain calm and in control of the situation.

The smirk fell from Foyet's face as he realised that Emily wasn't going to show him any fear and instead he stepped towards her and rested the barrel of the gun against the centre of her forehead. Even then, Emily didn't show she was scared, instead she maintained her steady frown. Did he really think she was scared? She had faced murderers, paedophiles, psychopaths, sociopaths; bombers, assassins, the IRA and she had survived them all and wasn't scared of any of them so why would she be afraid of one lunatic with a gun?

"It's not just them, there's a reason why I chose you Agent Prentiss." Foyet said and he raised his eyebrows knowingly. "I've not been too far away. I've been watching you ever since I last visited Aaron and believe me, I saw something very interesting. I thought it was inappropriate and against the rules for a supervisor to be in a relationship with his subordinate."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Emily denied, hoping her expression wouldn't give her away. Yes, she and Hotch had become closer the longer she had been part of the BAU and they were slowly progressing into something more than friends but nothing serious or major had happened between them.

"Really, maybe these can refresh your memory." Foyet said as he removed his free hand from behind his back to show a trio of photographs of Emily and Hotch. One of them in the FBI car park talking, a second had the two of them walking arm in arm and the third had Hotch and Emily outside her apartment building, hugging each other tightly.

"Those mean nothing. Thanks to you, Hotch has been going through hell and I've been helping him by being his friend and helping to track you down." Emily replied and Foyet shook his head smugly as he turned to Haley.

"What do you think Mrs Hotchner? Are they simply 'just friends'? The moment you turn your back, she's right there with your husband." Foyet taunted and Haley looked at Emily who minutely shook her head. _It's not what you think._

"Aaron and I are divorced. What he gets up to in his own life is none of my concern. If Agent Prentiss makes him happy then that is what matters." Haley replied and Foyet raised his eyebrows in mock surprise and turned away from them and activated the laptop.

"Well then, let's see what the man himself has to say about it." Foyet said as he produced Emily's phone from his pocket and dialled Hotch's number.

"Has anyone seen Emily?" Morgan asked as the team stood in the bullpen, Hotch and Rossi were at the stairs discussing the previous case and they stopped their conversation at Morgan's question.

"Not since she left for lunch." Reid replied. "Normally it doesn't take her more than 37 minutes; it's been over an hour."

"Maybe she's sick," JJ offered uncertainly as Hotch's phone began ringing with Emily's number flashing up on the screen.

"Prentiss, where are you?" Hotch asked and he froze as a smug man's laugh sounded through the phone.

"She's somewhere around here and she's not alone." Foyet replied smugly. He could almost see Hotch attempting to remain stoic and in control.

"Foyet." Hotch said, fear brewing in his stomach. There had been so trace of Foyet since he had attacked Hotch and his sudden return clearly didn't bode well. And now he had Emily. The team looked at Hotch stunned and growing expressions of fear, anger and concern on their respective faces as Hotch pressed the button to activate the loudspeaker. Thankfully it was just their team in the bullpen.

"The one and only. How are the scars? Do they hurt sometimes? Mine do." Foyet said conversationally and tauntingly as Hotch looked at the team and mouthed for one of them to get Garcia to trace the call.

"Don't even think about tracing the call and I would also like to say hello to the rest of the team but none of them are to say a word otherwise my hand might just slip on the trigger. This is between the four of us." Foyet warned, looking at Haley and Emily who were staring back at him, whilst Haley still looked terrified, Emily was glaring at him, furious at the taunting game Foyet was playing.

"What do you mean the four of us?" Hotch asked, looking around at the team feeling a sense of dread. Foyet had another hostage. Was it Haley? Or Jack? Or another innocent who had the misfortune to be caught up in the Reaper's twisted games.

"Why don't I let them talk?" Foyet offered and walked over to Haley and Emily. "Now ladies, be polite and tell our friend Agent Hotchner who you are and only who you are or else."

"Aaron? It's Haley." Haley said, knowing her ex-husband would obviously recognise her by her voice.

In the bullring Hotch shut his eyes at the sound of Haley's voice as different questions and fears raced through his mind. If Haley was there, where was Jack? "Haley? Are you hurt? Where's Jack?"

"The little G-Man is safe. For now. As long as you play by the rules this time and do what I tell you to." Foyet warned as he held the phone to Emily's ear. "Now say hello to the Agent."

"It's me," Emily replied and glared up at Foyet. "And we're trapped here with everyone's favourite psychopath."

Foyet matched Emily's glare with his own as he backhanded her across the pain. Emily let out a grunt of pain but turned her face back to Foyet's, a red mark spreading across her right cheek.

"That all you got?" Emily taunted and at the other end of the phone, they could hear Hotch demanding that Foyet not hurt anyone, prompting him to laugh sardonically at Hotch.

"I can see why you like her Hotchner. So much fire and passion in her but isn't there rules against that in the FBI? Surely you of all people don't break the rules." Foyet commented and Hotch clenched his fists to stop them from shaking. How could Foyet have known about him and Emily, not that anything had happened? They were just close friends. Nothing had happened.

Except for that kiss… but now wasn't the time to think about that. What mattered was getting Emily and Haley found and finishing this mess with Foyet once and for all.

"What do you want Foyet?" Hotch asked, returning to the topic at hand. "Why have you kidnapped Haley and Emily and I swear if either of them are harmed, then I will kill you."

"Always have to be the hero don't you?" Foyet asked. "As for why did I do this, it's because you need to be punished. You should have just made the deal Agent Hotchner. That was all you had to do. Agree to stop hunting me and let me live as a free man and I would never have killed again. All of this is your fault."

"What is he talking about?" Haley asked and Foyet smirked at her.

"Oh you didn't know? I offered your dear ex-husband a deal. All he had to do was agree to leave me alone to live my life and I would stop killing people. Just let me live as a free man rather than rot in a cell and none of this would have happened. He let over ten people die because he didn't make the deal." Foyet explained, relishing the way Haley looked stunned at the revelation of the impact of Hotch's actions but Emily shook her head as she carefully shifted and moved her hands behind her back, working away at the knots which kept her bound to the chair.

"You wouldn't have stopped and we all know that. It's in your sick, twisted little mind that all you can do is kill. All you're able to do. Those people didn't die because of Hotch. They died because you're pathetic!" Emily insisted and Haley gasped as Foyet calmly pressed the gun in between her eyes again.

"I'd be careful with what I said if I were you. Such a pretty face Agent Prentiss. It'd be a shame to ruin it with a bullet hole between those beautiful brown eyes." Foyet warned.

"Don't harm either of them Foyet! This is between you and me!" Hotch insisted as Reid and Garcia worked frantically to trace the call. Reid raised one finger, indicating they were a minute away from tracing the call.

"Indeed it is. You like her eyes don't you Hotchner? Now enough stalling. I know you've been tracing this call but that's not a problem. I want you to come and help me decide. Only you. If I see a sign of any of the rest of your precious team then they both die." Foyet warned.

"Where are you then?" Hotch asked as he already worked out what Foyet wanted to decide and indeed a moment later, Foyet confirmed it.

"I'm going to give you a choice. A kind thing to do considering you should have made our deal and I could just do both. When you get here, one of these two lovely ladies is going to die. You get to decide who it is." Foyet said, smirking at the horror that flashed across both women's faces.

Emily's resolve began to crumble as beside her, Haley began to cry quietly. She understood how much of a heart breaking position Hotch would be in. obviously he wouldn't want either of them to die but who was he supposed to choose? His friend and co-worker or his former wife and mother of his child. Like there was even any choice. Haley was still such an important part of his life and Jack needed his mother above all else. She couldn't let Haley die, Haley was an innocent in all of this whereas Emily was just as determined as Hotch to find Foyet and even now all she wanted to do was free herself and kick his ass. The knots were slowly giving way but she needed a bit more time.

Haley felt her stomach twist with so much fear that she wanted to be physically sick. She was going to die. This man was going to kill her whilst taunting Aaron about it. Whilst they were no longer in love with each other, there was still a level of care and affection for each other. not that they wanted to get back together or anything but they had loved each other since high school and have a son together. Jack… she was never going to see Jack again. She'd never see her little boy grow up and become a man. She never even got to say goodbye to him. Tears began to course down her face. She didn't want to die but she didn't want Emily to die either. Emily was a good friend to Hotch and even Haley could see there was more there. Not that she was jealous. All she wanted was for Aaron to be happy.

Hotch felt his world shatter at his feet. He had to decide who died, Haley or Emily? The woman he loved and was married to for so long or the woman who had become his best friend, pillar of support and who was slowly repairing and winning his heart. How could he decide which of them were to die. Neither of them should have to die. There had to be another way. He couldn't let either of them die, he would never forgive himself if Jack were to lose his mother or the team were to lose their dearest friend. He couldn't choose for Emily or Haley to die. He wouldn't let either woman die. There had to be another way. For a moment, all of them were silent as they waited with bated and terrified breath for Hotch's answer.

"Me."

"Emily," Hotch muttered pained but in the room with Haley and Foyet, Emily was staring at Foyet with the same set determination she had given Cyrus at the compound when she revealed herself as an FBI agent in order to protect Reid. The knots she had been untying had given way and she was clutching them in her hands to maintain the illusion she was still tied up. Her heart was pounding but she was careful not to let it show. All that mattered was ensuring Haley was safe and Jack would have a mother and she was determined that if she were to go down, Foyet was going down with her. She was going to fight.

"No, don't do this." Haley said, lowering her head to try and wipe her eyes on her shoulder as she looked at Emily.

"You have a child Haley, you have Aaron and both of them need you. They don't need me. Hotch can find another agent and profiler. He can't find another you." Emily explained softly.

"Or you," Haley replied. "I could see it at the hospital. You make him happy and he cares about you."

"No he doesn't." Emily improvised and glared at Foyet. "It was an act in case this happened. We knew you'd be back and you'd try and lure him to his death. This was my idea, pretend we were in a secret relationship in case you were spying and it worked."

"Very believable Agent Prentiss, such a shame that that's all lies." Foyet said as he turned his attention back to the phone. "Well it looks like the choice has been made for you. Any last words for your agent?"

Hotch looked at Reid and Garcia who gave a thumbs up. They had the location of where Foyet was. He was in Quantico and the team were quietly gearing up to go and get him. Hotch nodded at them and turned his attention back to the phone.

"I'm on my way." Hotch replied as Foyet ended the call. Morgan handed him his gun and vest and the team hurried out of the bullpen and into the SUVs, Reid giving them the address of a small apartment building at the far side of town.

Foyet threw the phone at Emily and kept the gun aimed at Haley. "Very brave of you Agent Prentiss."

"You have me, now let Haley go. She doesn't have to see this." Emily said and Foyet shook his head.

"You're right, she doesn't." Foyet said and he turned to press the gun to Haley's head. His momentary distraction was all Emily needed as the ropes she had been holding together with her hands were dropped as she punched Foyet in the face. Foyet fell forwards and the gun fell from his hands and skidded across the room. Emily grabbed a knife which was attached to Foyet's ankle, revealed by his trouser leg riding up after he lost his balance and sliced through the ropes around her own ankles.

"You little bitch!" Foyet roared as Emily rested herself on the balls of her feet, ready to fight.

"I said you would be able to kill me, I didn't say I'd make it easy." Emily said as Foyet lunged at her, she raised the knife and sliced him down his arm. As Foyet doubled over, Emily ducked behind Haley and began cutting through her ropes, only managing to cut half of them before Foyet was back up, the gun in his hands and aimed at both women.

"Get over here and kneel." Foyet ordered and Emily refused to move, causing him to tighten his hold and cock the gun at Haley again. "Get on your knees or I'll blast her brains out of her head."

Emily knelt down and Foyet stood behind her, the gun resting on the back of her head, execution style. Emily looked up at Haley who nodded slightly. Outside they could hear sirens in the distance and knew that the team were getting closer. It was now or never for all of them.

Foyet's finger rested on the trigger of the gun, relishing the moment just before the kill. The sense of power that only came with having someone's life in your hands and being the only one to decide whether or not they live or die.

Hotch's heart was in his mouth as Morgan broke all the speed limits in the city to reach where Foyet was hiding. All he could hope was that Emily and Haley were still alive and that Emily hadn't done anything reckless. He couldn't lose Haley and he especially couldn't lose Emily. Not when he loved her and in his style, he didn't realise that until he was about to lose her. They pulled up outside the building and raced inside as a gunshot sounded.

Haley looked at Emily as she managed to free her own hands and Emily mouthed a countdown. They had this one chance or else Emily was going to die. As Emily reached one, Haley ducked as Emily sent her elbow flying back. Her aim was accurate as her elbow connected with Foyet's groin. Both Emily and Haley threw themselves to the floor as the gun went off as Foyet bellowed in pain.

Haley pulled her legs free from the chair as Emily grabbed the gun and aimed it at Foyet's head. Below them they could hear footsteps and the team calling their names.

"We're up here!" Haley shouted as Emily kept the gun on Foyet who was getting back up, a maniacal and deranged look in his eyes. Foyet turned and lunged at Haley but Emily was ready for him and fired. Foyet fell to the floor with a bullet hole in his head and brain matter and blood on the floor, his eyes staring at nothing. For a moment there was silence before Haley buried her head in her hands and Emily dropped the gun in order to hug her tightly.

"It's over." Emily said. "It's over, it's over, it's over." she repeated as a mantra as the team burst into the room. Hotch was first in, followed by JJ, Rossi and Morgan bringing up the rear.

"Emily, Haley," Hotch said, tears were actually in his eyes as he saw that the two women he loved were both alive and safe. Indeed aside from a discolouring on Emily's face that would no doubt become a bruise, they seemed unharmed although Haley was extremely shaken up. Both Emily and Haley turned and as Haley and Hotch hugged briefly, Emily looked at the team and back at Foyet's body before Haley stepped back from Hotch, allowing him to hug Emily tightly.

"It's over." Hotch said as they embraced tightly.

A few hours later, Emily was sat in the bullpen watching as Hotch, Haley and Jack were reunited in his office. Jack was completely safe, the Marshall being warned by Foyet that if he had made a move to tell anyone about Haley being kidnapped, then Jack would have been killed. Emily sat on her chair and took a breath, so much had happened today. The Reaper was dead and they were all alive and safe and ultimately that was what mattered. Emily smiled at Hotch hugging Jack tightly.

"Agent Prentiss," Haley said as she walked up to Emily who turned and offered her a small smile.

"After today I think you can call me Emily, Haley." Emily said and Haley smiled slightly in return before she began to shake.

"I thought we were going to die." Haley confessed and Emily hugged her tightly.

"So did I but we didn't. Foyet's dead and he can't hurt any of us anymore." Emily reassured as they broke the hug and Haley wiped her eyes.

"I can never thank you enough Emily. You saved my life, you stopped him and you were far braver than I could have ever been." Haley admitted and Emily lightly shrugged her shoulders.

"I just did what I had to do. I was determined that he wouldn't hurt you and I knew that Hotch and the team would have been tracing the call and would have got there." Emily replied, she had had a moment of panic when the gun was pressed against her skull that the team wouldn't make it and they were going to die but it hadn't happened and she had remained focused on the task at hand.

"You've done far much more than that." Haley said knowingly and looked back over at Hotch and Jack, the latter of whom was sitting on Hotch's knee and seemed to be half-asleep. "He really does love you."

"I do care about him too. I just never realised how much until all of this started happening." Emily confessed, remembering Haley's comment about how she was in the hospital after Foyet had attacked Hotch in his own apartment. Was it really that obvious? It must be if Haley of all people was pointing this out to her.

"You make him happy Emily, that's all I've ever wanted for him. We were happy but it couldn't work. You make him happy, you care about him and it's clear you do love each other. You would be able to make it work in the way that we couldn't." Haley explained kindly and offered Emily a smile which Emily returned.

"Thank you Haley," Emily said genuinely, she knew that one thing Hotch was worried about was how Haley and Jack would have reacted when they knew that she and Hotch were progressing into something beyond friendship and Haley's warm and open acceptance gave her the answer.

"No problem, now come with me. Jack wants to meet the woman who beats the bad guys with his daddy." Haley said and Emily followed her up to Hotch's office. Jack was half-asleep on Hotch's lap and when they entered, he opened his eyes and ran over to hug Emily.

"You saved Mommy!" Jack exclaimed and Emily smiled as she hugged him back, she had always had a special spot for Jack and she noticed how warm Hotch's smile was as he watched her and Jack hug and she could tell that he knew that Jack wouldn't have had a problem with them being together.

"Yes I did and now you and your Mommy are able to come back from vacation and spend time with Daddy again." Emily said and Jack nodded giving her a smile.

"And you!" Jack insisted and Emily looked at Hotch and smiled at him.

"I'd like that." Emily said and Haley took Jack into her arms as his excitement left him and the four-year-old yawned loudly.

"I should get going, it's past Jack's bedtime." Haley said and they both quickly hugged her before she left, Jack in her arms, waving sleepily at them.

Hotch and Emily looked at one another, unsure of what to say in regards to what had happened. Instead of speaking, they wrapped their arms around each other tightly, each burying their head in the others' shoulder, taking it all in. the scents of the other's shampoo, perfume and aftershave, the feeling of holding them tightly and how much they cared for and indeed loved each other. After a few minutes they stepped back and looked at each other, taking in each other's faces and Hotch reached up and cupped Emily's face in his hand, mindful of her cheek as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Aaron," Emily began and Hotch cut her off.

"I know, I love you too." Hotch replied and he kissed her and in the end, that was all that need to have been said.


End file.
